Copyright (c) 2006 The Rockefeller University http://newswire.rockefeller.edu/rss.php Rockefeller University News http://www.rockefeller.edu/news/images/newswire_rss.jpg http://newswire.rockefeller.edu/rss.php 88 31 Fri, 9 May 2008 11:15:00 EST http://newswire.rockefeller.edu/?page=engine&id=755 In 1990 researchers observed that most patients with hepatitis C also develop a rare autoimmune disease called mixed cryoglobulinemia, a condition that frequently leads to cancer, arthritis or both. Now scientists at Rockefeller University say that a decade-old explanation of how one disease causes the other is likely wrong, and instead offer a new — albeit controversial — theory of their own. Tue, 6 May 2008 11:15:00 EST http://newswire.rockefeller.edu/?page=engine&id=754 Seth Darst, whose research explores the mechanisms by which RNA is transcribed from DNA, has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences, one of the highest honors given to a scientist or engineer in the United States. Mon, 5 May 2008 13:45:00 EST http://newswire.rockefeller.edu/?page=engine&id=753 An immunologist who studies how cells respond to specific antibodies has been elected to The American Academy of Arts and Sciences, an independent policy research center that undertakes studies of complex and emerging problems. Fri, 2 May 2008 10:15:00 EST http://newswire.rockefeller.edu/?page=engine&id=751 Citing the growing demand from the public and the scientific community for access to research data, The Rockefeller University Press has revised its copyright policy to allow authors to retain the rights to work published in its three journals. Fri, 25 Apr 2008 17:00:00 EST http://newswire.rockefeller.edu/?page=engine&id=749 Despite its variable efficacy, IVIG — a therapeutic made from the pooled plasma of healthy blood donors — has been used for years. Now, researchers have reengineered it to create a therapy that could be far more effective. Tue, 22 Apr 2008 15:45:00 EST http://newswire.rockefeller.edu/?page=engine&id=750 Beginning with the molecular origins of life and culminating with the latest findings on human evolution, 18 of the world’s leading experts will report on research spanning three billion years of evolution. Thu, 17 Apr 2008 15:45:00 EST http://newswire.rockefeller.edu/?page=engine&id=748 New research suggests that it should be possible to create a clot-busting pill that targets blood cells called platelets — something that high-risk patients could take at the first sign of chest pain, saving previous time and preventing excess damage. Tue, 15 Apr 2008 14:00:00 EST http://newswire.rockefeller.edu/?page=engine&id=743 Many of the biggest problems facing our society, like global warming, dwindling oil and unaffordable health care, are at their core scientific problems. Yet the national conversation on science tends toward oversimplification and pandering — never more so than in an election year. The result: a confused public who gets neither the straight story nor good policy. “Conversations on Science and Politics” will feature panelists from science, journalism and government discussing obstacles to reasoned debate and sound policies in science. Mon, 14 Apr 2008 10:30:00 EST http://newswire.rockefeller.edu/?page=engine&id=742 To find their prey, insects use smell. But scientists at Rockefeller University have found that they don’t detect odors the same way other animals do. These findings, which break with the ideology of the field, could lead to new insect repellents that effectively and safely keep backyard biters at bay and reduce the incidence of diseases they transmit. Fri, 11 Apr 2008 13:00:00 EST http://newswire.rockefeller.edu/?page=engine&id=740 In the first study to screen for multiple markers of hepatitis A, B and C in patients entering a single drug-treatment program, researchers reveal that 20 percent who had hepatitis B in the past may have a silent form of the virus. The findings, which reignite an ongoing public health debate, heighten justification for treating this potentially infectious viral renegade. Fri, 4 Apr 2008 15:15:00 EST http://newswire.rockefeller.edu/?page=engine&id=739 The final episode, titled “The Imperative and Promise of Science,” will feature scientific leaders who have inspired a new generation of thinkers. Tue, 1 Apr 2008 14:30:00 EST http://newswire.rockefeller.edu/?page=engine&id=738 Researchers uncover key genetic signals involved in how the pancreas begins forming, a finding they say might lead to regenerative therapies for patients with certain forms of diabetes, whose pancreases no longer function. Thu, 27 Mar 2008 17:00:00 EST http://newswire.rockefeller.edu/?page=engine&id=734 An experimental compound appears to prevent inflammation and stimulate neurotransmitter production in older rats. Taken chronically, it may have the ability to fend off memory impairment, depression, Parkinson’s, and other ailments. Thu, 27 Mar 2008 09:00:00 EST http://newswire.rockefeller.edu/?page=engine&id=736 The inaugural Hideyo Noguchi Africa Prizes, named after Rockefeller University’s prominent early-20th-century bacteriologist, were awarded to Brian Greenwood and Miriam K. Were. Tue, 25 Mar 2008 16:30:00 EST http://newswire.rockefeller.edu/?page=engine&id=735 The grant, from the Leon Levy Foundation, will fund the Leon Levy Presidential Fellowships in Neuroscience, designed to recruit young scientists whose research is at the crossroads of physics, mathematics and neuroscience. Tue, 25 Mar 2008 11:00:00 EST http://newswire.rockefeller.edu/?page=engine&id=733 The fourth annual prize, created to recognize outstanding female scientists, has been awarded to Gail Martin of the University of California, San Francisco, Beatrice Mintz of the Fox Chase Cancer Center and Elizabeth Robertson of the University of Oxford. Wed, 19 Mar 2008 17:15:00 EST http://newswire.rockefeller.edu/?page=engine&id=732 Donald Pfaff, the author of the new book <i>The Neuroscience of Fair Play: Why We (Usually) Follow the Golden Rule</i>, proposes a theory that explains why people usually treat each other in a thoughtful and civil manner. Our brains, he says, are hardwired to do unto others as we would have them do unto us — an ethical principle that seems to be present in all cultures throughout the ages. Thu, 13 Mar 2008 11:30:00 EST http://newswire.rockefeller.edu/?page=engine&id=729 The United States Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Army invented DEET, a chemical found in bug spray, to protect soldiers from disease-transmitting insects. But now, thanks to Rockefeller University researchers, we know how it works. By pinpointing DEET’s molecular target in insects, these researchers have shown that the widely used bug repellent masks human odors that blood-feeding insects find attractive — work that makes it possible not only to improve upon DEET’s repellent properties but also make it a safer chemical. Wed, 12 Mar 2008 16:15:00 EST http://newswire.rockefeller.edu/?page=engine&id=728 A researcher best known for his work on synapses, the junctions between brain cells, will become a visiting professor at Rockefeller University beginning this spring. Fischbach currently serves as scientific director of The Simons Foundation’s Autism Research Initiative, a philanthropy that has awarded $130 million over the past five years to researchers studying autism. Tue, 11 Mar 2008 17:45:00 EST http://newswire.rockefeller.edu/?page=engine&id=727 Located at the back of the throat, immune cells in the tonsils are perfectly positioned to catch inhaled and swallowed germs. Now, new research shows that they house immune cells that are particularly good at protecting against the Epstein Barr virus.